Taking the board game classic battleship and turning it into a movie takes both good acting and a great story but somewhere along the way the game changed and the film lost the sparkle that was a part of the game.
Film making 2/5
Video 5/5
Audio 5/5
Bonus Features 3/5
Total 3.5/5 Stars
I can handle films that are all action and no substance but this one really takes the cake, Battleship as a film is a fine idea but the final product was less than worthy. The idea of using a board game, one that is actually pretty fun, may not make it for a film but they actually did well for that part.
Sonar buoys to find the enemy when conventional means like radar doesn’t work is plausible but the acts leading up to this and some of the actors themselves just do not fit the bill. The first part of Battleship where we get to see what a screw up the main character is takes too long; they could have shown how much he needs to get kicked out of the military in much less time.
The entire premise of aliens coming here to kick our butts off what is prime real estate and finding not the ready war machine of millions of thriving humans but a couple of very determined rejects could work. The problem is that the film takes too much time on side trips and then plot holes that could swallow a real ship abound.
The aliens ignore a ship when it fails to attack but a highway that could lead enemies to the mountain where they sit needs to get wasted so humans can’t drive up on their position is a terrible idea. The holes in the plot and general ideas of fighting no matter what planet you’re from just get worse as the film continues but not all is lost.
Battleship does deliver plenty of over the top violent action and great computer graphics with of course really big aliens and plenty of explosions. The one feature that had to be here was the board game and they do alright with that even when the main weapons of the enemy looks an awful lot like those pegs you use in the game.
In the end Battleship could have been much better with less filler and more realistic drama along with a few better lines of dialogue. Battleship does have at least one accolade that you cannot deny; it is the only board game to movie adaptation out there so it actually is the best one.
Video and audio are perfect; starting with some really impressive scenery and great computer graphics you have an excellent transfer to Blu-ray. Colors are bold and bright and the lush jungles of Hawaii are contrasted against the brilliant blues of the ocean scenes for some great footage.
Video just has no problems at all with the entire film and audio is also really top notch with its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound track. The surround sound and bass are perfect with nice loud thuds and real feel to the audio that really highlights the action well.
The audio is clear for voice and the effects for explosions and lots of the good fighting is just perfect throughout the film with fantastic surround sound. Bass has that nice chest thumping quality that makes it feel like it is all happening right before you from alien ship hitting the water to battleships being blown apart.
Bonus features are pretty good with plenty of interviews, making of features and a good look at the real battleship the Missouri that makes the bonus content well worth watching. The bonus content is good but not top rate so there is enough to warrant a decent rating but nothing that would be missed other than tour of the real USS Missouri.
Battleship is a good action film but the films poor acting for some of the cast, Rihanna is top of that list sadly, and the plot canyons leave the film lacking. In the end Battleship makes a decent rental but the films lack of good direction and a solid screenplay leave it worth nothing more than a decent film when nothing better is available.
Battleship Website
